GOVERNOR BAKER RECENTLY ANNOUNCED INCREASED FUNDING TO
COMBAT GANG ACTIVITY.
UNDER THE SHANNON GRANT, COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE
WILL RECEIVE MONEY TO HELP LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SOCIAL SERVICE
AGENCIES WHO WORK WITH AT-RISK TEENS.
THE BERKSHIRE COUNTY CITY OF PITTSFIELD WILL RECEIVE $197,000
THIS YEAR AND CAROLEE MCGRATH SAT DOWN WITH STATE SENATOR
HINDS, AND -- >> IT'S A 7.7 MILLION PROGRAM
STATEWIDE, 15 DIFFERENT SITES WHICH INCLUDES MORE CITIES THAN
THAT AND A LOT OF RESEARCH PARTNERS INVOLVED.
AND REALLY WHAT IT'S TRYING TO GET AT IS YOUTH VIOLENCE, IT'S A
MIXTURE, IT CHANGES CITY BY CITY, THE STRATEGY, BUT IT'S A
MIXTURE OF OPPORTUNITIES AND TRYING TO ALLOW FOR A
COMPREHENSIVE EFFORTS NOT ONLY WITH THE INDIVIDUAL BUT
INVOLVING AS MANY COMMUNITIES PARTNERS AS POSSIBLE.
AND THE POLICE BEING A KEY PARTNER IN MOST OF THE PROGRAMS.
>> COLLEEN, EXPLAIN A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT YOU SEE IN YOUR LINE
OF WORK.
AND WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUTH VIOLENCE, WHAT KINDS OF
SITUATIONS ARE HAPPENING IN PITTSFIELD?
>> WELL, IN PITTSFIELD AS IN MANY COMMUNITIES WHAT IS
HAPPENING IS, AS A RESULT OF KNOWN FACTORS, SUCH AS POVERTY,
GENERATION AL POVERTY, JOBLESSNESS, LIMITED ACCESS TO
EDUCATION AND BARRIERS IN TERMS OF TRAUMA, THAT OUR YOUTH AND
OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE FAMILIES ARE STRUGGLING.
AND SO THAT BEGINS TO SHOW ITSELF IN DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIORS
AND BEING ABSENT FROM SCHOOL, AND MAKES THINGS LIKE GANG
ACTIVITY MORE ATTRACTIVE.
>> HOW DO YOU TALK KIDS OUT OF THAT?
IF THEY'VE HAD TRAUMA AT HOME, IF THEY DON'T HAVE SOMEBODY THEY
CAN TURN TO, OR FEEL THEY CAN TRUST, THEY DON'T FEEL LOVED,
HOW DO YOU EVEN TELL A KID A GANG IS NOT A GOOD IDEA, IF WHAT
THEY'RE LEAVING IS NOT A GOOD SITUATION?
>> THAT IS SUCH A GREAT QUESTION.
AND IT REALLY DOESN'T START WITH TRYING TO TELL THEM ANYTHING.
IT STARTS WITH TRYING TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP, HAVING SOME
TRUSTED RELATIONSHIP WITH A POSITIVE ADULT, AND JUST
STARTING TO JUST LISTEN TO AND HEAR FROM THAT YOUNG PERSON,
WHAT IT IS THEY WANT AND NEED FOR THEMSELVES, WHAT ARE THEIR
DREAMS, AND THEN BIT BY BIT CONNECTING TO WHAT IT IS.
SO OUR STAFF SPENT A LOT OF TIME DOING OUTREACH, AND WHEN I SAY
OUTREACH I DON'T MEAN PHONE CALLS.
I MEAN LITERALLY ON THE STREET, IN THE PLAYGROUNDS, AND WHEREVER
WE KNOW THAT YOUTHS ARE HANGING OUT.
>> SO THIS MONEY WILL ALLOW YOU TO INCREASE THAT ACTIVITY AS
WELL IN TERMS OF CONNECTING WITH YOUTH?
>> VERY MUCH SO, VERY MUCH SO.
IT IS REALLY A ONE ON ONE PROCESS, SO IT TAKES A LOT OF
DOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IT BEFORE YOU CAN REALLY ENGAGE THE YOUTH.
AND WE ARE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT ADDED FUNDING AND FOR THE
ADVOCACY OF FOLKS LIKE SENATOR HINDS AND THE LEGISLATURE FOR
RECOGNIZING THAT PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION, AND ADDRESSING THE
ISSUES UPSTREAM IS REALLY WHAT'S GOING TO HELP US KNOCK DOWN THE
LEVEL OF NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR THAT WE SEE.
>> SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE UPSTREAM PART OF IT.
SO THIS MONEY WILL BE SUPPORTING POLICE AS WELL, AND IT'S
OBVIOUSLY GANG ACTIVITY THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
HOW WILL THAT HELP THEM IN THEIR WORK?
>> IT DEPENDS ON THE PROGRAM, BUT IT'S OFTEN USED FOR COVERING
HOT SPOT DETAILS, SO JUST A MORE VISIBLE PRESENCE.
A LOT OF COMMUNITY POLICING OFTEN COMES INTO IT, HELPING
WITH OVERTIME TO COVER INCIDENTS.
SO IT DEPENDS ON THE COMMUNITY.
PITTSFIELD IS A RECIPIENT, SO IS SPRINGFIELD, AND HOLYOK AND
CHICOPEE AS WELL.
NAY ALL HAVE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT MODELS.
BUT I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE DESIGN OF THE PROGRAM THAT
COLLEEN RUNS IS, IT'S REALLY PRETTY SPECIAL FOR SAYING, LOOK,
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S GANG ACTIVITY WILL BE ATTRACTIVE IF
YOU DON'T HAVE CERTAIN THINGS, SO WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS.
AND IS IT RESPECT, IS IT MONEY.
AND THE PROGRAM IS ALLOWED FOR PROVIDING THOSE ALTERNATIVES.
AND ALLOWING CERTAIN AS RESPECTS OF YOUR DIGNITY TO BE TAKEN CARE
OF WHEN YOU CAN MAKE A BUCK, AND YOU HAVE SOMEBODY WHO IS THERE
TO LISTEN TO YOU. AND IT'S SUCH A STRONG PROGRAM
WITH OUTREACH WORKERS WHO COME TO THE TABLE WITH CREDIBILITY,
WITH THE YOUTH, AND -- >> SO PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN
IN GANGS BEFORE ARE TALKING TO THE KIDS?
>> EXACTLY.
>> AND TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND.
>> WELL, I WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO STARTED THE PITTSFIELD
PROGRAM, IT WAS BEFORE I RAN FOR THE STATE SENATE.
I WAS DOING THIS WORK EXACTLY.
SO IT WAS THE FIRST YEAR PITTSFIELD RECEIVED THE SHANNON
GRANT, SO WE WERE STARTING FROM ZERO AND SAYING WHAT IS IT IN
THE PROGRAM DESIGN THAT WE WANT TO SEE, AND IT WAS A REALLY
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO JUST START FRESH, AND THOSE WERE THE
ELEMENTS WE WANTED TO HIT, IS GO TO WHERE THE YOUTH ARE, BE CLEAR
ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING IN THE COMMUNITY, IN SOCIETY,
AND JUST TRY TO FILL SOME OF THOSE GAPS THAT THEY MIGHT BE
EXPERIENCING.
>> HOW DO YOU SAY, HEY, LISTEN, YOU MIGHT MAKE A LOT OF MONEY
HERE FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT STAY IN SCHOOL.
WHAT KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS DO YOU HAVE WITH YOUNG PEOPLE THAT
COULD CONVINCE THEM OF THAT?
>> WELL, COLLEEN SAID IT BEST.
THERE'S, A, YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE.
LOOK, THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO MAKE A DOLLAR SOMEHOW, LET'S
FIND A POSITIVE WAY TO DO IT.
SO THAT JOB COMPONENT WAS A KEY PIECE.
WE SAW PARTICIPANTS INCREASE ONCE WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE
SUMMER JOBS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THAT REGARD.
THEN THE EXPERIENCE OF THE OUTREACH WORKERS WAS THE OTHER
KEY PIECE, OF BEING ABLE TO SAY I'VE BEEN THERE, DONE THAT, AND
IT DIDN'T WORK, LET'S TALK.
>> I KNOW IT'S OFTEN TIED TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND WHEN YOU
THINK ABOUT TEENAGERS, GIRLS OR BOYS, AND HOW HORRIBLE THAT LIFE
CAN BE, HOW DO YOU AGAIN ADDRESS THESE PRETTY DARK ISSUES WITH
KIDS WHO ARE VULNERABLE?
>> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT ALL OF THESE
KIDS, ALL OF THESE YOUTH, THESE YOUNG PEOPLE, HAVE EXPERIENCED
TRAUMA, AND THAT TRAUMA, THE DATA TELLS US, TRAUMA CHANGES
BRAIN CHEMISTRY.
IT CHANGES THE WAY YOU THINK AND THE WAY YOU REACT.
SO IN TERMS OF THAT SHIFT IN THINKING THAT YOU REALLY HAVE TO
DO THE GROUND WORK OF WORKING WITH FOLKS ON LEARNING TO THINK
CRITICALLY, AND TO PROBLEM SOLVE, AND IN NOT PERCEIVING
CONSTANT THREAT.
SO THAT REALLY TAKES TIME.
BUT THERE ARE ALSO FORTUNATELY REALLY SPECIFIC TOOLS AND
APPROACHES THAT DO THE JOB.
SO IT IS VERY POSSIBLE FOR THIS TO TURN AROUND.
>> CAN YOU WORK WITH FAMILIES AS WELL?
CAN YOU CIRCUMSTANCE AL BACK TO THE PARENTS, MAYBE THE KID
DIDN'T COME FROM A HOME WHERE THERE WAS TRAUMA, MAYBE HE'S
JUST GOING OUT OR SHE'S JUST GOING OUT AND REBELLING.
HOW DO YOU WORK WITH FAMILIES?
BECAUSE THAT CAN BE REALLY TRICKY FOR PARENTS, ESPECIALLY
IF YOU'RE A SINGLE PARENT, TO BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE THAT.
>> SO WE DO WORK WITH FAMILIES WE DO EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE,
FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION, CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING SERVICES
AS WELL AS YOUTH AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
SO WHAT WE UNIQUELY DO IS WE WRAP AROUND THE ENTIRE FAMILY,
AND I'M SO GLAD YOU RAISED THIS POINT, BECAUSE NOT EVERY CHILD
IS FROM A MESSED UP HOME SITUATION.
ALTHOUGH CERTAINLY THERE IS THAT.
AND THE TRAUMA ISN'T NECESSARILY AS A RESULT OF THEIR ACTUAL HOME
OR FAMILY LIFE.
IT IS A RESULT OF THE CONSTANT STRUGGLE AND STRESS IF YOU ARE
IN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS UNSAFE, IF YOU ARE CONSTANTLY
STRUGGLING FOR THE BASICS OF FOOD AND SHELTER, AND EVEN OF
BEING ABLE TO GET TO SCHOOL AND HAVE WHAT YOU NEED TO DO THAT.
AND SO WE DO ACTUALLY WORK WITH THE FAMILIES AS WELL, WHERE
THERE IS, AND WHEN I SAY FAMILY, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A
TRADITIONAL FAMILY STRUCTURE, ANY KEY PERSON IN THAT YOUNG
PERSON'S LIFE AND ANY FAMILY MEMBER THAT WE WORK WITH THEM
AND WE TRY TO WRAP AROUND THAT YOUNG PERSON TOGETHER.